Saturday, October 18, 2008

Today was a cool, crisp day. The kind of day where The Common Man doesn't mind being out raking leaves, contemplating the end of summer, because the temperature is perfect to do work and not become a sweaty nasty mess. Instead, he could collect said leaves into a neat pile and enjoy watching The Boy collapse, face-first, into them over and over. Indeed, as The Founding Father points out, over at The Mantuary, there is no month like October if you're a man. Football, baseball, raking, perfect temperatures. Fires in the evening.

And finally, it's time to get into real beer. No more light and airy beers, tasting vaguely of fruit and dancing. Instead, it's time to drink stouts, porters, and bocks, strong dark beers designed to ward off the cold and provide nourishment in the barren winter months. So, tonight, as The Common Man sits in his favorite chair, watching the Red Sox-Rays game, reading one of Rainster's latest book recommendations, and just enjoying life, he holds in his hand a mug of Stockyard Oatmeal Stout, which he found at his local Trader Joe's.

Stockyard is apparently brewed by Goose Island Brewing Company, out of Chicago. The Common Man says "apparently" because there is no Stockyard Brewing Company, and other beer bloggers out there have suggested that they've found some kind of connection. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that this is a perfectly acceptable beer, rich in flavor and dark in color. There's a significant amount of carbonation, and subsequently it has a thinner feel to it than, say, Guinness.

Indeed, after sneaking a taste, The Uncommon Wife called it "Guinness for wusses". She's got a point. That said, there's less flavor here than in Guinness. It's got more chocolate to it than coffee flavored aftertaste, and sticks with you far shorter than the Irish Stout by which Irish Stouts are judged. It's worth a try if you want to like Guinness but are turned off by just how thick, rich, and overbearing the beer can be. Just be sure to drink it when it's warmer. The Common Man gave it a try right out of the fridge and didn't get the full body of the beer until later. It was then he realized that it's a manly beer for manly men, but not for the manliest of men, who drink a Guinness for breakfast, a Guinness for lunch, and then a sensible dinner.